Food Wraps

[Randis]

When it comes to food preservation was waxed or “oiled” cloth a thing back in the 18th century? I can see it being quite useful for wrapping certain foods or capping bottles or jars. I suspect linen would have been used over cotton as it was generally cheaper.

 

[Harry Marinakis]

Animal bladders, quite stretchy.

For jars, a waxed linen disk was folded over the opening and tied with string.

 

[Harry Marinakis]

FYI waxed linen has a tendency to mildew, so it's best and cheaper to make your own waxed linen covers to replace the yucky mildewed covers.

The linen wax is a combination of beeswax and boiled linseed oil. Some recipes include a bit of paraffin wax, too. Plenty of recipes online for the correct proportion of each, can't remember off the top of my head. Wax dries hard and it crumbles. BLO makes the beeswax flexible.

Put the linen circles on a bed of paper towels. Melt the wax mixture and paint the linen with a disposable brush. Then use a heat gun to even out the wax. The excess wax drips through into the paper towels.

 

[andy52]

Waxed paper has been around since medieval times.​

 

[tenngun]

Townsend sells an imitation animal bladder to top a jar with. I got some but didn’t really have a need for it
Much stuff was covered in lard or tallow. So a greased cloth could keep it clean.